


you are my violet

by stargayzing



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura is Unfortunately Oblivious, Alternate Universe - Human, Awkward Flirting, Celebrity Lance, F/F, Florist AU, Florist Shay, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Lance (Voltron) Flirts, Language of Flowers, Love Confessions, Love at First Sight, Meddling Senior Citizen(s), Misunderstandings, Pining, Shay has a Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-08-29 10:03:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8485108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargayzing/pseuds/stargayzing
Summary: In which fate (or coincidence, or Lance) brings them together, and the shy florist Shay becomes hopelessly enamored with one of her customers. Featuring flowers and romance and kisses.





	1. Gloxinia

There were three things Shay loved about owning a flower shop:

First, she spent her entire day surrounded by plants, blooming and green and so wonderfully _alive_. She fondly remembered being a little kid and helping her grandma in the garden, grass stains on her knees and leaves in her hair and eyes lit with adoration. And that love had never wavered. 

Flowers were pretty and fragrant and, best of all, incredibly meaningful. When she'd learned about floriography, it had been a revelation. An entire language, messages hidden cleverly in a bouquet and only there for those who were in the know? Well. She'd never pretended to be anything but a hopeless romantic. 

The shop was cozy and small and _hers_. She loved the glass door with Shay's Flowertopia printed on it in curly white lettering, the broad windows crowded with plants drinking in the sunlight, the small stand by the entrance with the day's prettiest flowers, the fragrance clinging to her clothes even when she was home.

The way it smelled was her second favorite part - earthy and fresh and sweet. It lingered in the air and put a smile on her face. It was gentler than the 'floral' perfumes you could buy, entirely genuine and refreshing. In a city full of cars and chimneys and smoke, her shop offered an escape into nature, and the air was sweet and fresh with the oxygen the plants gave off. 

But her favorite part was interacting with her customers: the tiny old lady who came in once a week to buy flowers for her husband's grave, the blushing and awkward teenagers here to woo someone they were in love with, the get-well-soon and happy anniversary and confession bouquets that she sold. It was always a little glimpse into the lives of all these people, buying flowers for different occasions but for the same reason: to express their feelings. 

The chime of the bell always made her smile in pleased anticipation, and that day wasn't any different.

She'd just finished re-potting a rather ambitious fuchsia, so her hands were covered in dirt and she called out: "Just a minute!”

When she'd washed her hands in the small sink behind the counter and returned to the shop, her customer was inspecting a vase full of white carnations.

"How can I help you?", Shay asked cheerfully, a smile on her face. 

When the woman turned to her, Shay took in the gray pantsuit and immaculate haircut before meeting her eyes. They were gorgeous, framed by long dark lashes and a beautiful blue, like a lake in sunshine or wild forget-me-nots.

"You're Shay, I presume?" Her voice was very musical, with a charming british accent. Cute, Shay thought, before replying a little awkwardly: "That's me." 

Her customer smiled at her. Shay fell in love on the spot. 

"I'm Allura. I'm looking for some flowers?"

"Then you've come to the right place," Shay said, gesturing around with a little laugh. "What's the occasion?"

"They're for my boss, Lance McClain." The name rang a bell, so Shay nodded. "He's trying to woo a co-star and wants to send her flowers, but she vetoed roses so I'm trying to find something else."

"You're his PA?"

"Agent," she corrected, before adding wryly: "And best friend, although sometimes I wonder why."

"Alright," Shay said, amused. "What's he like?" 

"Lance?", Allura looked curious about why she was asking but continued when Shay just nodded, "Typical actor, I'd say. And with that I mean incredibly over-dramatic and a giant diva... but he has a good heart."

"Let me think... Yes, I think these would work."

She got out the scissors and some ribbon while explaining: "Flowers have all sorts of different meanings, and I like making sure the flowers fit the person. So I'd recommend red carnations," she stepped past Allura to where there was a bucket of them, "because they're pretty but not too flashy, which I feel the recipient will appreciate. They also suit Mr. McClain, because they mean 'My Heart Longs For You'." 

Allura laughed. "That sounds like Lance, alright. Thank you, these are perfect."  
She accepted the bouquet with a smile, before putting it back down on the counter to get out her wallet. 

Shay managed not to gape when Allura handed her a black AmEx, but felt a little lightheaded when she scanned it.  
"Can I help you with anything else?" Shay tried not to sound too hopeful.

Allura shook her head and gently shifted the flowers to offer her hand. Shay shook it, noticing Allura's skin was soft and warm against hers. 

"Have a nice day," she offered, and got a smile in return. 

Shay watched her leave and tried to ignore the butterflies swarming in her stomach. _This_ , she thought, _is what people mean when they say they're starstruck, isn't it?_

 


	2. Gardenia

Shay ended up thinking about Allura. A lot.

This wasn't unusual for her, since she tended to fall quickly and fall hard whenever she got a crush, but it was unfortunate, because Shay was pretty sure she wouldn't see her again. Except maybe on TV. They were very clearly different people, with entirely different social spheres.

(Lance McClain, as she had learned when she'd gotten home and googled him, had been nominated for an Oscar twice already, which at his age was frankly impressive; but he was more widely known for his flirtatiousness and the articles about all of the _Scandalous Affairs!!_ the tabloids loved to print about him.)

Shay wasn't exactly someone you'd see on the red carpet, after all.

She tried not to mope and was glad her plants, at least, weren't able to call her out for failing miserably.

But only a week later, Allura did come back.

When Shay looked up at the chime of the bell and spotted her, she dropped the cactus she was holding in surprise. She grabbed for it and managed to catch it, although she pricked her finger on one of the spikes.

“Are you alright?” Allura sounded genuinely concerned, but Shay's grimace had been more at her own clumsiness than from actual pain.

“I'm fine,” she said, waving her off. “What can I do for you, Allura?”

Allura looked both surprised and pleased that she'd remembered her – when really, it was hard to forget a face like that. Had been for Shay, at least.

“I'm looking for some flowers,” Allura said, and Shay recognized the words and smiled.

“You've come to the right place! Same girl?”

“No, someone else. She liked the flowers,” she explained, “but apparently not enough to sit through Lance talking about himself for two whole hours.”

Shay winced in sympathy, but Allura just looked faintly amused.

“If this one doesn't mind roses, I've got some fresh ones just in,” Shay said, and Allura followed her over to where they were stored. “How about lavender ones? They signify enchantment.”

Allura leaned in to smell one of them and smiled. “Sure.”

✿✿✿✿✿

 

It became a sort of routine, after that, Allura coming by once a week or so and Shay picking out some flowers for her. They chatted amiably and Allura left a large tip every time.

Unfortunately – instead of slowly dying down like she was used to – the more time she spent with Allura, the worse the crush actually got.

She liked spending time with Allura, talking to her and listening to her stories about Lance (where she either sounded fond or irritated or – and this was confusing – a mixture of both) and seeing her laugh at the jokes Shay made.

Her poor gay heart was therefore not at all prepared for Allura to casually announce one day: “Oh, right, I should give you my phone number.”

“O...kay?” Shay managed to set down her cup of coffee instead of dropping it, so at least she was making progress.

Allura missed the stunned look on her face completely as she got her smartphone out of her bag. She waited until Shay had her own phone in hand before saying: “We're going to be pretty busy, over the next few days or weeks, so I might not be able to make it here in person. But I thought I could text you our order and then send a driver to pick it up the next day?”

“Sure,” Shay said, and smiled, and tried to ignore the crushing disappointment welling up inside her chest. Which was ridiculous, anyway, because Allura was both way out of her league and a customer, not her... whatever.

They exchanged numbers and Shay tied together a large bouquet – Calla lilies, this time – and handed it to Allura.

Allura took it and turned to go, but hesitated at the door and turned back to say: “Shay... I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, asking for your phone number. I'm on call pretty much all day, but I understand if... I didn't mean to intrude into your private life.”

Shay blinked, completely thrown, but hurried to reassure her. “You didn't make me uncomfortable! I was a little surprised, but I don't mind at all. We're... we're friends, right?” She hoped that didn't sound as needy as she thought.

Allura smiled at her, eyes bright, and confirmed: “We are.”

✿✿✿✿✿

 

A week after that, Shay was doing the dishes when her phone rang. She quickly dried her hands and walked over to where it was lying on the table next to a vase full of flowers.

When she saw it who it was, her heart sped up. Allura was calling her.

She tried to ignore the way her palms suddenly felt sweaty. Could be a buttdial, she thought. Or a request for more flowers – never mind the fact that it's 8 o'clock on a friday night.

Shay sighed, firmly told herself she was being ridiculous and accepted the call.

“Shay? This is Allura speaking. I'm sorry for calling so late...”

“Hi Allura. It's not a problem,” Shay said, blushing. Wait, why was she blushing? Maybe, she reminded herself, because she was on the phone with her crush, or it might be the way Allura's voice sounded different over the phone, a little deeper, smoother. It was a voice she wouldn't mind listening to some more. “What can I help you with?”

“One of Lance's paramours actually sent him some flowers back, and he insisted I call you and find out what they mean right away. Sorry.”

“Oh, that's fine. I'd be happy to help. Can you describe the flowers to me?”

“It's- well, they seem to be daisies, I think? Pink daisies. But they're all dead and withered... That's not a good sign, is it?”

“Poor Lance,” Shay said, with a wince. “It's a rejection. Sorry.”

“I see,” Allura said, and sighed. “I'll tell him – I'll be right back, okay?”

Shay waited, listening to the muffled sounds of two people talking, and wondered why Allura wasn't hanging up now that she had her answer. Something suspiciously close to hope wormed its way into her thoughts, and she tried in vain to squash it down.

“Sorry about that,” Allura said, two endless minutes later.

“Is Lance OK?”, Shay asked hesitantly.

“He'll be fine,” Allura said dismissively, before she paused and her voice softened. “He was a bit upset at being outright rejected, I think, but I called his driver and he's spending the night at a nearby Hotel. Room service always cheers him up.”

Shay smiled and, on impulse, told Allura: “You're a good friend. He's lucky to have you.”

Allura laughed, and somehow, with Shay sitting on her dingy old couch, dishtowel still in hand, it was different from seeing each other at the flower shop; it was just the two of them, now, and it felt far more intimate. Shay felt her cheeks heat up and almost missed Allura's dry: “Remind me of that the next time I'm about to throttle him for being annoying.”

“Well, nobody's perfect,” Shay offered diplomatically, and was rewarded with a rather undignified snort.

She leaned back into the soft cushions on her couch and smiled when Allura stopped giggling long enough to ask: “How was your day?”

 


	3. Camellia

On Monday, Shay helped Mrs. O'Reilly pick out some flowers; the same each week, lovely zinnias in magenta and white and yellow, so cheerfully colorful that it was hard to remember they were flowers of mourning.

“He was my best friend first, you know,” O'Reilly said suddenly, and Shay – familiar with the many stories the old lady told of her late husband – just nodded and smiled.

Some days her heart ached for this old lady, spelling out _lasting affection_ and _I remember you ever day_ in flowers so many years after her husband's death.

“Do you have a best friend?”

The question – and the implication – surprised Shay and she just sort of gaped at her customer, stunned. While she was still trying to come up with a way to answer that the bell chimed and Allura walked in.

“You won't believe what- Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt.”

“Don't worry, dear, I was just leaving.” Mrs O'Reilly waved her off before giving Shay a stern look.

Obligingly, she bent down, and the old lady pinched her cheek affectionately. “I'll be back next week. You take care now, dear, you hear?”

“Yes, Mrs. O'Reilly. See you next week.” Shay didn't miss the significant way she was looking between her and Allura, complete with meaningful raised eyebrows, and mentally braced herself for the interrogation she'd receive in seven days.

She helped Mrs. O'Reilly, who had her walking stick in one hand and the flowers clutched tightly in her other, out of the door before turning back to Allura.

Allura looked tense, with a small frown line between her elegant eyebrows, so Shay quickly filled the kettle and got out some cups for the two of them.

“What's wrong?”, she asked, while the tea was steeping.

Allura huffed, irritation clear in her voice when she said: “It's Lance,” (Shay had guessed as much) “he's being an idiot.”

“More than usual,” she clarified. “There's this... I think someone is scamming him – there's no way someone is actually called Nyma, for goodness sake – but he's falling for it and _he won't listen to me_. Neither as his Agent or his friend.” Allura sighed, still frowning. “He canceled an interview we scheduled months ago to spend a weekend at a couple's retreat in the Bermudas. I'm going to have to do some serious damage control to keep from offending people that could very well one day be his employers. And I'm used to him being flighty, but he's not usually this irresponsible.”

Shay blinked. “That,” she said, “sounds stressful.”

Allura laughed at the look on her face. “It is. I'm taking an extended lunch break until the homicidal urges pass. And I thought, since I'm here, I might as well buy a plant.”

“A plant,” Shay repeated, baffled. “What kind of plant?”

“Oh, any kind. I need something to liven up my apartment. Anything will do.”

She thought about that, and amended sheepishly: “Maybe something that isn't easy to kill.”

“In that case, I have some lovely cacti...”

Allura glared at her in mock-offense at the slight against her caretaking abilities, but did end up picking a middle sized cactus with bright red flowers.

Shay's cheeks hurt from smiling, but she was glad she'd managed to cheer her friend up. Although she didn't really _do_ anything.

✿✿✿✿✿

 

After the whole Nyma fiasco – she'd put her foot down, apparently, even if Lance was still sulky about it – Allura called her to say Lance wasn't going to be sending any more people flowers any time soon (the _or else_ remained unspoken, but Shay had a sudden new appreciation for the fact that Allura could be terrifying).

She had sounded honestly regretful about not seeing her anytime soon, but Shay didn't let herself get her hopes up. Resigned to a week of subtle moping and trying-not-to-but-still pining, she was not at all prepared for Allura to come waltzing into her shop just as she was about to take her lunch break.

“Hello Shay,” Allura greeted her cheerfully.

“Hi Allura,” Shay said, trying to think of a way to say _Why are you here?_ without sounding rude. She settled on “It's good to see you,” which had the added benefit of being true, even if she was rather confused.

“You too, Shay. I heard there's a new Italian restaurant in the area, so I thought I'd drop by on my way to lunch,” Allura explained, sensing her confusion.

That... wasn't an invitation, right? And even if it was, it didn't mean anything. Friends went to lunch all the time. Even if she'd never had lunch with _Allura._ That would be different, right? Would it count as a sort of date if only one of them knew it was a date? Aaand she was being ridiculous. Again.

“I'd better get going,” Allura said after a minute, glancing at her watch. “See you soon.”

“Sure,” Shay said with a small smile.


	4. Red Tulip

 

Allura dropping by on her lunch break turned out not to be an isolated incident. Really, despite the fact that Shay wasn't selling her any flowers, she actually saw her a lot more than she had before. They ate (platonic) bagels together on Friday, sharing anecdotes about the past week, and she dropped by to say Hi on Monday as well. (Shay survived the nosy Mrs. O'Reilly relatively unscathed, mostly because the old lady very obviously took pity on her when she started blushing and stuttering.)

It was Wednesday when she thought, as she watched Allura gesture animatedly while describing something ridiculous Lance did and laughing, _this is killing me._

She liked spending time with her, but it was getting increasingly harder to stop imagining herself kissing Allura when her lips curled into a small smile, and her stomach did somersaults every time she managed to get a laugh out of her.

But it wasn't just about her being physically attractive – Allura was funny and smart and cared deeply about her best friend, even if that usually manifested in irritation and bossing him around. She was oh so very kind, helping old ladies across the street and involved in multiple charities, and seemed awfully lonely sometimes.

Shay wanted to be there for her, really there for her as more than friends, listening to her rants and jokes and eating the dinner she made even though Allura swore she was a terrible cook.

“Earth to Shay? Hello?” Allura waved a hand in front of her face, looking more amused than annoyed, thankfully.

“Ah. Sorry. I drifted off a little...”

“I noticed,” she said dryly, smiling. “Was my story that boring?”

“What? No, I-” Shay narrowed her eyes when Allura started snickering. “You're teasing me!”

“I'm sorry,” Allura said. “I couldn't resist. You get so adorably flustered.”

Which, of course, made her get even more flustered. _Adorable_ , she thought to herself, blushing.

“Goodness! Look at the time,” Allura exclaimed. “I really do have to get going now. See you Friday?”

“If there's bagels involved, of course. I'm looking forward to it.”

Allura laughed even as she turned away with a wave and walked out of the store.

✿✿✿✿✿

 

Shay spent the entirety of Thursday trying to hype herself up to ask Allura on a date before chickening out on Friday when they met for lunch.

The weekend involved some more moping and checking her phone every few minutes before she gave up and binged sappy romance movies on Netflix.

Monday brought with it Mrs O'Reilly, who gave her a stern look the second she stepped into the store. Shay gulped.

“Good morning, Mrs O'Reilly,” she offered weakly.

“Good morning, Shay.” She narrowed her eyes at her before sighing. “Dear, you look miserable.”

“I'm not-”, Shay started to protest, but the old lady steamrolled right over her.

“I've seen puppies who aren't as lovesick as you are. A broken heart can kill, you know.”

“I don't have a broken heart,” Shay said firmly, and silently added: _Not yet, anyway._

Mrs O'Reilly gave her a long searching look before shaking her head and admitting defeat. “Do you have my zinnias?”

“Of course, Mrs O'Reilly,” Shay tried not to let her relief be too obvious.

The bouquet she picked out today was especially colorful, cheerful yellow and red and pink mixed in with the white, and her customer smiled when she saw it.

They chatted a little while Shay carefully tied the flowers together with white string and a sheet of paper. About the weather, the mass yesterday, her niece expecting a child by the end of the year. It was very familiar, and Shay let herself relax.

Which was of course when Mrs O'Reilly suddenly spoke up: “I'd like a single red rose today too, thank you.”

“Of course,” Shay said, a little confused.

She cut and handed her the rose before asking: “If I may, who is it for?”

“That girl of yours,” Mrs O'Reilly said, shoving the flower back into her hand. “No more silly excuses, now.”

Shay's eyes went wide. “But I can't!”

“What a load of bull. Of course you can. In fact, I'm telling you to.”

“But I don't even know if she likes girls!”

The old lady gave her a kind smile. “I know one way of finding out.”

Shay stared down at the single rose, conflicted. Mrs O'Reilly obviously took her silence as agreement and nodded crisply before saying: “Good. I look forward to seeing you wear a happier expression next Monday.”

✿✿✿✿✿

 

After Mrs O'Reilly left – patting her on the head comfortingly, which Shay had to lean down for – she had about an hour until Allura usually took lunch.

Shay spent that hour pacing through the shop, being so distracted she accidentally overcharged a customer and had to apologize profusely, and staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was probably a lost cause, but she patted it flat anyway before sighing and messing it up again.

She'd put the rose in a vase on the counter, where it seemed to stare judgingly at her, a fleck of bright red against the green of the walls.

Oh God. She was actually going to go through with this, wasn't she?

Well. Then she was going to do it right.

She left the rose as a reminder and walked over to a bucket of tulips, carefully picking out several red ones and tying them together.

Red tulip. A declaration of love. Back when she'd first discovered her grandma's book about the language of flowers as a kid, she'd vowed to use them in her confession. It was kind of romantic, right? A message hidden in the blossoms. She'd always thought so.

She washed her hands for the third time in twenty minutes before admitting to herself she was being ridiculous. She got out her phone and started playing Tetris, trying to distract herself from her nerves. Another lost cause.

Her heart went a mile a minute, it felt like, when the bell chimed and Allura walked through the door.

_This is it this is it this is it._

“Hello, Shay. I'm a little late, aren't I? Sorry.”

“It's fine,” Shay said, surprised by how steady her voice was. Gathering up her courage because it was now or never, she added: “Actually, I have something for you.”

She got out the bouquet of tulips, and Allura let out a pleased gasp. “Shay, you shouldn't have!” she said, accepting the flowers with a smile. “I actually know what these mean! They're tulips, right?”

Startled, Shay just nodded, and Allura continued on excitedly: “Tulips signify friendship! I'm glad to be your friend, too, Shay.”

Silence.

Shay felt mortification unfurl in her chest, tightening painfully around her heart. Instead of correcting her, Shay just forced a smile and accepted the hug Allura gave her.

Allura had liked the flowers, but she had thought- Allura was _glad to be friends with her._ That was a pretty clear signal, wasn't it? And Shay didn't have the courage to ask her outright. She didn't want to ruin the friendship she did appreciate, even if some days the distance hurt.

Not long after that, Allura made her excuses and left, taking the misunderstood bouquet with her.

Tulips, Shay remembered, were beautiful but delicate flowers. Inexperienced handlers often had them fall apart when they tried to water them. She felt a lot like that now.

 


	5. Ambrosia

The rest of the work day passed by in a blur. Shay was distracted and honestly a little upset. She just wanted to head home, buy ice cream on the way and call Raz so her brother could gently tease her before awkwardly offering to punch someone for her. It always made her feel better.

The sun was just going down when she locked the door to her shop. She put her keys in her coat pocket and shoved her hands in there too, eyes downcast as she started walking in the direction of her apartment.

Suddenly, someone called out: “Shay!”

Shay turned, caught off guard, and her eyes widened comically. There, just a few meters down the road, was Allura. She was a little out of breath, like she'd run all the way here, and the sunset made her hair shine like gold.

“Allura?” Shay asked, surprised. In her chest, hope was starting to spread.

Allura walked up to her, a determined look on her face, before stopping just a foot away. “I,” she announced, “am such a moron.”

Shay blinked.

Allura continued on: “I'm an idiot. Because I misunderstood, because I didn't even _see_ you when you were right in front of me all along, but most of all because I hurt your feelings. I'm so sorry.”

“I googled red tulips at work, to make sure I was right,” she admitted. “Turns out I wasn't. And it's true I'm glad to have you as a friend, but I've realized... well, I really like you. And so I thought...”

She turned to Shay and took a deep breath before asking: “Will you go out on a date with me?”

_This is a dream, right?_

When Allura caught her subtly pinching herself in the arm, she laughed. “It's not a dream,” she promised, eyes bright with mirth.

And Shay could feel her face split into a huge grin.  
“Allura... I would love to go on a date with you.”

 Allura had to stand on her tip toes to reach, but she pressed a kiss to her cheek anyway. She looked smug when Shay blushed immediately.

“Will you bring me more flowers?, Allura teased, even as she reached over and interwove their fingers.

“Of course,” Shay said, giving her hand a light squeeze. “Roses and tulips and violets. And, well, mistletoe isn't really in season yet... but I'd like to kiss you anyway."

"Sap," Allura said with a fond eye roll, but her eyes fluttered shut when Shay leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss.

When they broke apart, Allura was smiling.

“How do you feel about Italian?”

“I like Italian.”

“Great, let's go,” she said, tugging her in the direction of a nearby restaurant.

“Ah.” Shay said, suddenly stopping.  
Allura gave her a concerned look and asked: “What's wrong?”, but Shay was already shaking her head with a small smile.  
“Nothing,” she said. “I just remembered someone is going to be _unbearably_ smug next week.”

Allura looked adorable when confused, so Shay kissed her again. She hummed, hooking her arms around Shay's neck and kissing back.

They parted after a bit, more because they were standing on a pavement by a busy road than because they really wanted to.

Shay leaned forward and down a little to rest her forehead against... her girlfriend's – the word alone made her blush – before jokingly quietly: “How do you feel about Mrs O'Reilly being the flowergirl at our wedding?”

That surprised Allura into laughing.

And maybe that was too weird to say, on their first date, but Allura didn't seem to mind, and Shay had always been a romantic. She dove in headfirst whenever she fell in love and this time, she'd fallen deeper than ever before.

But it seemed Allura was right there falling with her.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Gloxinia - Love At First Sight  
> Gardenia - You're lovely; Secret Love  
> Camellia (Pink) - Longing for You  
> Tulip (Red) - Declaration of Love  
> Ambrosia - Your Love Is Reciprocated  
> ✿  
>  **Violet (White) - Let's Take a Chance on Happiness  
> **


End file.
